Tony Abbott

Saint Paul

Editor-in-Chief at Hockey Wilderness

Editor-in-Chief at @hockeywildernes. Trivia Person. Veteran of over 100 Pokemon TCG games. Former: @TheAthleticMIN, @10KRinks, @hockeywildernes

Featured in: Favicon

zonecoverage.com Favicon

wsj.com

audacy.com Favicon

theathletic.com Favicon

bringmethenews.com Favicon

themonthly.com.au Favicon

hockeywilderness.com Favicon

racketmn.com

Articles

The Vikings Are the True Test Case For the NFL's Trench Trend

3 days ago | zonecoverage.com | Tony Abbott

Trends in the NFL come and go in a league where 32 teams are always looking to be on the cutting edge of a new winning formula. Some trends stick around, like the last two decades’ increased emphasis on passing. Many more go the way of the Wildcat offense or employing Russell Wilson. The gridiron is a laboratory that validates solid strategies and dismantles flashes in the pan. Their primary experiment this season is the Trench Trend.
The Johansson Deal Shows That New Freedoms Won't Break Guerin's Old Habits

4 days ago | hockeywilderness.com | Tony Abbott

Limitations and restrictions breed creativity. The Minnesota Wild have dealt with them during the crushing burden of the Zach Parise/Ryan Suter buyouts. If there's something Bill Guerin has excelled at during that time, it's finding ways to squeeze value out of zero cap space. Retaining Ryan Hartman on a pay cut in 2021, acquiring Jake Middleton for nothing from the San Jose Sharks, and plucking Freddy Gaudreau from obscurity are prime examples.
The Minnesota Wild Devalued Their Best Trade Asset

1 week ago | hockeywilderness.com | Tony Abbott

As a trader, Bill Guerin is all about fair value. While other general managers might seek to fleece their brethren, Guerin believes conducting business that way is bad for a team in the long term. Back when he first got the gig, the Minnesota Wild GM said, "One of the great lessons I learned from [longtime GM] Jim [Rutherford] was... ‘Billy, never try to win a trade. Don’t try to screw the other guy over.
Is There Any Reason To Fret Over Signing Kaprizov For Eight Years?

1 week ago | hockeywilderness.com | Tony Abbott

In 2012, the State of Hockey celebrated the Minnesota Wild signing two coveted free agents to 13-year, $98 million deals. Part of that celebration was understanding that by the time those deals wrapped up, Zach Parise and Ryan Suter would be in their 40s and not worth the $7.54 million cap hit. Who cares? Minnesota collectively said. Let's deal with that when we get to it. Those contracts wound up, predictably, becoming an albatross by the end. Was it worth it? Probably.
Next Year Will Feel Like A Crossroads For the Wild's Defense

1 week ago | hockeywilderness.com | Tony Abbott

At the end of the Minnesota Wild's season, Bill Guerin gave the State of Hockey little reason to speculate about the team's blueline. "Our [defense] core is set, I'd like to focus on forwards," the general manager flatly declared. In a sense, the Wild's defense is indeed fairly locked in. Jon Merrill and Declan Chisholm's contracts will expire, but Minnesota is set to return Brock Faber, Jonas Brodin, Jared Spurgeon, Jake Middleton, and Zach Bogosian next season.
God Help Me, I Kinda Want The Stars To Win the Stanley Cup

2 weeks ago | hockeywilderness.com | Tony Abbott

Very rarely do I take off my Wild Analyst Pince-Nez and put on my Wild Fan Sweatpants at Hockey Wilderness, but hey, it's the offseason. You gotta wear sweatpants sometimes, and today's that day. The NHL is down to its final four teams: The Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, and Florida Panthers. It's hard to tell where the allegiance of the State of Hockey generally is in this field, but it's not hard to narrow it down to three.
The Buffalo Sabres Won't Be the Wild's Savior At Center

2 weeks ago | hockeywilderness.com | Tony Abbott

The Minnesota Wild look like they're in a bit of a jam. They want to upgrade the center position this offseason and will set out to do so in a market where centers aren't exactly plentiful. Listening to insiders, Brock Nelson is the odds-on favorite to land in Minnesota, with potential fits like Sam Bennett perhaps pricing himself out of Minnesota's range, and few trade targets in sight.
The Twins Are Showing That Pitching Is More Powerful Than Vibes

2 weeks ago | zonecoverage.com | Tony Abbott

2025 was shaping up to be one of the worst vibes seasons in Minnesota Twins history. Maybe the worst. The lowest point of the season is up for debate, but the team started 0-4, was 4-11 on April 12, 7-15 on April 20, and 13-20 on May 2. All four days were bleak. Pablo López got injured early in the year. A burst of energy from Luke Keaschall got derailed by injury after seven games. And all that happened under the cloud of a fanbase that desperately wants ownership to sell, with no buyer in sight.
What Should We Expect For Year 1 Of Danila Yurov?

3 weeks ago | hockeywilderness.com | Tony Abbott

For the second time in five years, the Minnesota Wild are importing a highly-touted prospect from the KHL to the State of Hockey. The first one, of course, worked out pretty good. Now, they've finally signed forward Danila Yurov to a three-year, entry-level contract starting with the 2025-26 season. You don't have to take our word for it, either: Yurov is the Wild's second first-rounder (after Liam Öhgren) of the 2022 Draft and seemed poised to make the jump to North America last summer.
The Wild May Have Locked Themselves Into the Wrong Time To Strike

3 weeks ago | hockeywilderness.com | Tony Abbott

"Last week, I helped my friend stay put. It's a lot easier than helping someone move. I just went over to his house and made sure he did not start to load s--- into a truck." -- State of Hockey native Mitch Hedberg. After four years of largely staying put, the Minnesota Wild are itching to move. They want to move on free agents, they want to move young players for established ones, they want to make a splash.